The Nigerian Bankers’ Award 2008

The very best in the Nigerian financial sector turned out on Friday, April 18 2008 to witness the 2008 Nigerian Bankers’ Award organised exclusively by Vanguard Newspapers.

L-R: Uche Nworah, Oyiza Adaba, Laolu Akinwunmi of Prima Garnet Ogilvy

The event which held at the prestigious Civic Centre, along Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue, Victoria Island, Lagos saw Oceanic Bank International Plc win in the Best Bank in SME
Financing category.

The night’s big winner was GTBank which carted away three awards as Bank of the Year, Best Bank in Corporate Governance and Most Customer Friendly Bank.

One of the prestigious awards of the night went to Francis Atuche, MD/CEO of Bank PHB who was named Banker of the Year beating two other nominees Aigboje Aig-Imokhuede (MD/CEO Access Bank) and Sola Akinfenwa (MD/CEO, Skye Bank).

The rest of the winners are:

Bank PHB – The Most Innovative Bank
Union Bank – Best Bank in Agriculture Financing
Zenith Bank – Best Bank in Information Communication & Technology
Ecobank – Best Bank in Infrastructure Financing
First Bank – Best Bank in Manufacture Financing
Zenith Bank – Best Bank in Export Financing
First Bank – Best Bank Stock of the Year
UBA – Nigeria’s Emerging Global Bank
Intercontinental Bank – Best Bank in Corporate Social Responsibility
Access Bank – Best Gender Responsive Bank

Chief Dr. Samuel Oyewole Asabia, Dr. Clement Nyong Isong, and Alhaji Aliyu Mai Bornu all received post-humus awards for outstanding services to the banking industry.

Other recipients of the outstanding services to banking industry awards are: Otunba Bola Kuforiji-Olubi, Mallam Adamu Ciroma, Alhaji (Dr) Umaru Mutallab, Eze Prof. Green Onyekaba Nwankwo, Oba Oladele Olashore, Dr. Shamsudeen Usman and Ola Vincent.

Professor Chukwuma C. Soludo, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria was the chairman of the event while Ms. Arunma Oteh, Vice President (Corporate Management), African Development Bank presented the keynote address.

This year’s Nigerian Bankers’ Awards panel of judges was made up of Lateef Owoyemi, Mr. Fola Adeola, Chief DR. (Mrs) Nike Akande, Ms Evelyn Putu and Mazi Okechukwu Unegbu.

The event was packaged by up and coming ad and branding agency Verdant Zeal and was compeered by Frank Edoho.

L-R: Alhaji Shamsudeen Usman (Minister of Finance), Otunba (Mrs) Kuforiji Olubi, Oti Ikomi (standing) & Professor Cukwuma C. Soludo (Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria) at the Vanguard award.

L-R: Nonye Ugwujide, Tony Chiejina, Uche Nworah & Oti Ikomi all of Oceanic Bank at the Vanguard awards.